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(Bufo boreas
complex)
| Identification:
Skin warty; oval glandular
lump behind each eye; no distinct bony ridges bordering eyes; usually a
light stripe along middle of back (most prominent in mature females);
bumps on underside of hind feet lack a sharp cutting edge, yellowish in
juveniles; head and body length rarely more than 11 cm (4.3 inches) in
females, rarely more than exceed 9.5 cm (3.7 inches) in males. The light
stripe on the back may be absent or inconspicuous in juveniles (which may
have reddish warts). Mature male: dark patch on the inner surface of the
innermost toe on the front feet during breeding season; vocal sac
absent.
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Breeding call
: Soft chirping sounds.
| Larvae: body and tail (including fins) black or
dark brown; eyes about halfway between midline and outside edge of head; 2
rows of tiny teeth on upper lip, 3 rows on lower lip; up to about 34–37 mm
(1.3-1.5 inches) long.
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Eggs: Black, in 1–3 rows (often 2 rows that appear to be a
single zigzag row) in long strings of double-layered jelly; laid in shallow
water, may become tangled in vegetation or covered by silt/detritus. |
Colorado Distribution:
Throughout most of the Rocky
Mountains, usually at elevations between 8,500 feet and 11,500 feet. Formerly
widespread and common, now scarce except in localized areas.
Habitat: Vicinity of mountain lakes, ponds,
meadows, and wetlands in subalpine forest (for example, spruce, fir, lodgepole
pine, aspen). Adults often feed in meadows and forest openings near water but
sometimes in drier forest habitats.
Life
History: Breeds in shallows of lakes and
ponds in spring or early summer. Larvae metamorphose into small toads from late
July through mid-September, mainly in August.
Note: Classified as an
Endangered species by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Toads in the
Southern Rocky Mountains may be a species distinct from those farther north in
the Rocky Mountains and other parts of the western United States.